A wide variety of consumer-oriented products incorporate handles for enabling the user to employ the particular product in the most convenient manner. In many products, handles are fixedly mounted to the product and remain immovable relative to the product.
Other consumer products which are employed intermittently or are constructed for traveling have found fixedly mounted handles to be extremely inconvenient, due to the additional space taken between the body of the product and the handle itself. Consequently, many of these products are constructed with handles which can be pivoted between a stowed position and a use position. Although a wide variety of products fall within this group, such products are typified by electronic convenience items such as clothes irons, garment steamers, and the like.
In these prior art products, attempts have been made to manufacture the products in a way which will enable the handles to be moved into a position which would reduce the packing space required for storing the particular products in a suitcase. However, although the goal of achieving a product with a handle construction which is foldable or stowable for occupying a minimum area, while still being easily movable into an operative position which enables the handle to be easily accessed and employed, prior art constructions have failed to achieve handle constructions which fully meet all of the consumers desires and demands.
In this regard, most prior art handle constructions, which have attempted to meet consumer desires, have resulted in handle constructions which are bulky, occupy more space than desired by the consumer, and/or are difficult to move between a folded position and a use position. Consequently, these products have failed to satisfy the consumer demands for an improved handle construction.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a handle construction which is fully stowable in an unused position as an integral part of the product to which the handle assembly is affixed while also being quickly and easily moved from the stowed position to a readily accessible use position.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a handle construction having the characteristic features described above which provides a readily accessible handle when pivoted to its use position which is easily accessed by the consumer and is spaced away from the product to prevent unwanted contact with surfaces that may cause injuries to the consumer.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a handle construction having the characteristic features described above which is quickly and easily movable between its two alternate positions, enabling consumers to attain the benefits of the stowed position or use position in an easily employable, readily attainable manner.
Other and more specific objects will in part be obvious and will in part appear hereinafter.